# Cracked Calabash



## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

I won this calabash on ebay today.
http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Sherlock.jpg
It has two cracks in the bowl.
http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Sherlock2.jpg

I was wondering how one would go about repairing this? Is it possible or should I not even try? It was only $13, so I don't really mind if it's a goner, but if I can fix it I'd like to try!


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

Looks like it was badly neglected. I guess you could patch it with something but you can also (if the pipe itself is worth saving) buy a replacement bowl. I believe its threaded and unscrews from the goard.


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## wharfrathoss (Dec 27, 2006)

you can get replacement bowls here:

http://www.pipemakers.org/misc_products.htm

they have more on the following pages.


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

Thanks! I assume I shouldn't try to smoke this while it's in its current condition, correct?


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

I'd be worried about heat going through the crack and maybe damaging the gourd but you could do a quick patch with putty if you're dying to smoke it, but all that nasty cake in the chamber might not give you a very good flavor.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

Vox3l said:


> I won this calabash on ebay today.
> http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Sherlock.jpg
> It has two cracks in the bowl.
> http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Sherlock2.jpg
> ...


Did the seller acknowledge the crack in his ebay listing? Pictures?


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

dmkerr said:


> Did the seller acknowledge the crack in his ebay listing? Pictures?


He did. These are actually the two pictures from the listing. I'm waiting for it to get here so I can get a closer look at how bad it really is. The seller said he got it at an estate, not a pipe expert etc., and that it was being sold as-is. I figured I'd be able to locate a replacement bowl somehow, and even if I couldn't, $13 is nothing to cry over, so I threw a bid on it.

To Mad Hatter:
I'm in no hurry to smoke it, especially if there's any chance doing so could damage the pipe itself in any way.

When the pipe gets here, I'll post some better pictures. I have to wait for it to arrive before I get a replacement bowl, since the seller didn't post any measurements.


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

You might ry a PM to CS member "IKMeerschaum" - he will probably have the straightest skinny on getting the best replacement bowl in the correct size. I've seen them listed here and there - not too expensive.

The limit on the discoloration, given the gross amount of cake, makes me think the bowl is ceramic and not clay.


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

So I got it in the mail yesterday. Turns out, the bowl is SERIOUSLY broken. As in there is no bowl. Looks like someone took a hammer to it. It looks good as a whole, if you look past the bowl situation. The width of the bowl opening is 1 1/4". The width of the opening in the pipe that holds it is 1 7/8".

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=GoodLookin.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Rim.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Busted3.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Busted.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Busted2.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Bowl.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=BowlHighContrast.jpg

Now here's something that worries me a bit. This little crack in the lining of the pipe itself. Could this hurt the pipe if it were to be smoked (when it has a bowl, of course)?

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Crack.jpg


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Regrets. Welcome to ebay "estate" pipes.


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

Meh, it's no biggie. I was actually expecting much worse considering the $13 price tag! I just like the look of it. And even if a replacement bowl runs me $40 I will have saved off the average price I've seen lately! p


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Vox3l said:


> Meh, it's no biggie. I was actually expecting much worse considering the $13 price tag! I just like the look of it. And even if a replacement bowl runs me $40 I will have saved off the average price I've seen lately! p


It is so. The inside of the gourd could use a good cleaning; try some gentle scraping to get the buildup out.

Did you ever catch up with IKMeerschaum? He may have good advice on that crack inside the gourd.


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

Mister Moo said:


> It is so. The inside of the gourd could use a good cleaning; try some gentle scraping to get the buildup out.
> 
> Did you ever catch up with IKMeerschaum? He may have good advice on that crack inside the gourd.


I just sent him a message.
Should I use a pipe tool or would a knife work for scraping the inside?


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## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

Vox3l said:


> http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=GoodLookin.jpg


Hopefully you can save it, that's a purty pipe. And the price was right! :tu


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

morefifemusicanyone said:


> Hopefully you can save it, that's a purty pipe. And the price was right! :tu


Yeah. Even if I can't, it's a beauty! I'm cleaning it up as best I can right now! I want to smoke it so bad :dr


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Vox3l said:


> I just sent him a message.
> Should I use a pipe tool or would a knife work for scraping the inside?


something dull-edged, no points - go very slow. Don't scrape into the gourd.


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## Arizona (Jul 19, 2007)

Wow badly neglected thats for sure. Let us know who ends up being able to make you a new bowl for it. Nice to know such a source for future reference maybe.

I've never had a calabash but I've found them interesting and would like to have one some day.


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## IKMeerschaum (Feb 8, 2007)

Vox3l said:


> I just sent him a message.


Sorry guys. I didn't get your PM for some strange reason.

Yes, we do have replacement calabash inserts in numerous sizes. 
http://www.tobacco-barn.com/s-164-calabash-bowl-inserts.aspx

It is not that uncommon for Calabash pipes to suffer this kind of burnout; hence the aftermarket for bowl inserts.

The biggest concern I would have on that crack is that it extends further making the seal around the bowl incomplete. My guess is, based on the burnout of the bowl, the previous owner drove this pipe with his foot to the floor all the time. Excessive heat can cause this problem with gourd.

If you aren't concerned about looks, you could probably do a few things to resolve this problem. You could apply some Gorilla Glue or something similar to the _exterior_ of the crack to seal it and bind the top of the gourd with cord or something similar to help minimize the strain on the crack.

I hope you find this helpful. If you have any other questions, please shout or call the store and ask for Tom. He's our expert on all things pipes. 866-608-4397 or internationally +1-949-830-7110


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

Thanks for getting back to me!
The crack is actually only in the lining of the gourd. It looks like it's lined with cork or some similar material? It doesn't extend all the way to the outside of the gourd. The gourd itself is in great condition as far as I can tell. I'm certainly no expert, so I can't say for sure. There are a couple smaller similar cracks in the lining in other places. I do want to get a replacement bowl whether it's smokable or not, as I think it's a good looking pipe and I would like to put it on display after giving it a good cleaning!

But does the crack affect the integrity of the pipe as a whole even though it is just in the lining? I'll throw some pictures up in this thread as soon as I can to show the difference between the lining and the gourd as well as the other cracks to give you a better idea of the pipe's condition.
Thanks for all the help! p


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

More pictures. You can see where I've done a crappy job of scraping the inside. I'm really scared of doing it, because the lining feels SO fragile! I feel like if I scrape even a tiny bit too hard, I'll rip it off the gourd and have a nasty looking bald patch on the inside. Any recommendations on how I should go about cleaning this more delicately than usual pipe cleaning? Does anyone have experience with this type of lining?
Also, how do I take measurements for a replacement bowl?

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Crack2.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=CrackSmall.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Cracks.jpg

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Crack1.jpg

Here's pictures of the outside of the pipe. It's in great shape, no cracks.
http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j18/vox3l/?action=view&current=Sides.jpg


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

IK is the expert but I think you've cleaned the gourd plenty. You can probly recork the gourd to suit your new bowl insert and end up with a fine calabash. Good luck.


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

Mister Moo said:


> IK is the expert but I think you've cleaned the gourd plenty. You can probly recork the gourd to suit your new bowl insert and end up with a fine calabash. Good luck.


Alright. Does anyone have any recommendations for places I could take the pipe to get it recorked? I don't see it as being a do-it-yourself type of project. I am willing to spend a couple extra bucks to get this pipe into usable condition. I'm really starting to like the feel of it!
I broke the smaller section of the bowl in half trying to get it off the gourd earlier today. It seems to have the strength of a sugar cookie! I'm starting to think the previous owner used a blowtorch to light the damned thing!:hn


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## tzilt (Nov 20, 2007)

I think at craft stores like Michael's you can buy sheets of cork in various sizes and thicknesses. Maybe thats not the type of stuff they use for meers though.



Vox3l said:


> Alright. Does anyone have any recommendations for places I could take the pipe to get it recorked? I don't see it as being a do-it-yourself type of project. I am willing to spend a couple extra bucks to get this pipe into usable condition. I'm really starting to like the feel of it!
> I broke the smaller section of the bowl in half trying to get it off the gourd earlier today. It seems to have the strength of a sugar cookie! I'm starting to think the previous owner used a blowtorch to light the damned thing!:hn


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## Smarvy (Nov 4, 2008)

I don't know if these folks can help you or not, but I've heard only good things about both of these repair shops:

Walker Briar Works

Precision Pipe Repair

Like I said, I don't know if they can help with a calabash or not, but it might be worth shooting them both an email. Good luck, it's a nice looking pipe, I hope you can get it fixed.

Aloha,
Justin


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

So in 4 hours or so I'm going to visit Rich's Cigar Shop in downtown Portland, Oregon and I'm thinking I'll take this baby with me and have the guy take a look at it! I'll post some updates on cost and such when I get back.

Edit:


Smarvy said:


> I don't know if these folks can help you or not, but I've heard only good things about both of these repair shops:
> 
> Walker Briar Works
> 
> ...


I missed this post! I'll shoot them an email and see what they think as well!


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

An update:
Just got home from Rich's Cigar Shop. I visited 2 of them (there are 3 in Portland). First I went to a smaller one because I found it first. The two gals there weren't too knowledgeable in terms of calabash pipes, but they were friendly and gave me directions to the giant Rich's downtown, where Steve helped a TON, all the while smoking a big, beautifully colored Meer. He even let me sample the tobacco he was trying, which smelled and tasted incredible, but was far too expensive for me. 
Anyway, he basically told me the a bowl would cost around $30 or $40, and he could recork the gourd, but that would be pretty expensive, especially if I want him to make it look like it originally did. Basically, to fix it would cost more than buying 2 estate calabashes. He said the gourd itself was in great condition, as was the stem (recommended polishing it up with toothpaste and olive oil!), and that I could probably sell it in its current condition without the bowl for $20 or so. So I'm thinking I'll try to sell it and just get another off ebay.

I did, however, get some nice tobacco! I got 2 bags of Rich's blends (1.5 oz. of Old Virginia, 2 oz. of After Dinner), and a tin of Escudo. For the tin it was between Escudo and Nightcap, and I chose Escudo because I already had a night time/evening blend (After Dinner), and I've heard nothing but good things about Escudo here. I wanted some Squad Leader, but they were out. I spent a grand total of $27.95, which I'm very happy about (I was aiming for under $30). All in all I think it was a good day! Can't wait to try the Escudo! p


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## morefifemusicanyone (Aug 23, 2008)

Vox3l said:


> Can't wait to try the Escudo! p


It's just delish! My current fave.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

Re-corking the gourd is not difficult or expensive. Check out this guy's approach: http://www.geocities.com/pipetabor/calabash/e4/calabash_e4.html
He basically wets and molds the cork in something circular, coffee cup, spray paint cap, whatever works. Buy a sheet of cork at a craft store. It's the same stuff, and it'll give you lots of attempts if you crack a cork strip.

Oh, to measure the length of cork you'll need to cut for your strip, use a string on the inside of the gourd where the cork gasket will sit, then measure the string.


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## Vox3l (Nov 17, 2008)

drastic_quench said:


> Re-corking the gourd is not difficult or expensive. Check out this guy's approach: http://www.geocities.com/pipetabor/calabash/e4/calabash_e4.html
> He basically wets and molds the cork in something circular, coffee cup, spray paint cap, whatever works. Buy a sheet of cork at a craft store. It's the same stuff, and it'll give you lots of attempts if you crack a cork strip.
> 
> Oh, to measure the length of cork you'll need to cut for your strip, use a string on the inside of the gourd where the cork gasket will sit, then measure the string.


Well hell! I'll give that a try! The reason it would be expensive to have the guy to it is because he'd do it himself and do it to look like it originally did, but this way looks quite a bit better since I really just want to be able to smoke it, not have it look good on the inside! Thanks for the link! :tu
When I get to recorking it I'll definitely post some pics!


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